Yo guys, just wanna tell you about the AWESOME weekend i had. I tried LARP for the first time (and not the silly wavy plastic stick around you might think of, this was SWEDISH STYLE!!!)

It was all very cool.

My character was a bodyguard for the mayor of Gelion. City of the free, boxed in between two large nations that was split a long time ago.Here is the mayor of gelion, talking to one of the larp planners.

Lovely woman, and don't underestimate her, i saw her hold a blade to the throat on a highly regarded Shaol leader, while discussing deals when having truth serum in his wine.... In the tavern..... directly in sight from the local law-keepers second. Not to be trifled with!

This is the level of suit quality, as you see it's very cool, and this is considered a bit easy-going on the clothes side here in sweden.You can also see a well, here we got our water. Really cool.

And the area was cool, loads of tents and some wooden houses really gives the feel the planners wanted for this story (which is a long running affair, i just jumped into the middle of the story. It's very deep. SO MUCH BACKSTABBING )

I'll just take the countries really fast, as they are rather important.

The Lothian kingdom. Heavily inspired by roman ideals and with a medieval technology level. They have their king which almost receive god-like status.Here is my knife.

The Lohelian is a large country as well. Split by a civil war about their belief in their god Iudas (not a real god despite ANY similarities) My character despises that religion (which only Lohelians have, the only religion in the world.)

The wonderful tavern personell, they had to live with the constant whining of lords and soldiers alike and work to serve food and clean the tavern. Including being an emergency hospital when a huge battle was fought. It is the tavern they are standing in front.

The Shaol, think a mix betwen scots and vikings and you have the right idea, they like to rooar SHAOOOL and are honorable and noisy. No one else believes in their honor which easily angers the Shaols who take their honor very seriously.

The woads are forest-folk, they prey on people in the woods and are generally a pain in the ass.Sorry, no pics in front of the tavern.

And the glorious harbour city of Gelion, with the most powerful commerce houses perhaps in the world. The city of the free and a general pisshole Sadly no pics here since i was supposed to stand on the stair. Accidentally i went inside and thus missed when the photo was taken

This larp is very cool, and i already plan on going on the next one.

I was described by some as "the Hound" from game of thrones because i upheld the same stature and personality. And i followed the mayor at most places. Few times were i further away than a sword-arm from her.I'll try to get a pic up later, i could've asked for some to take a pic of me, but i forgot.

The area, loads of tents were put up.The merchant area, with a working blacksmith.

The pavilion of the mayor, here is slept two night out of three on a wet hump on the ground, only a moisty carpet and a pair of woolen blankets to keep me warm.

The third night i spent in the sheriffs house, on the floor in a corner, it wasn't wet but surprisingly less comfortable.

Now i'm gonna show a bunch of more random people pics.

The band Oblector, who's lovely singing voices made the evenings in the tavern more enjoyable. Making the drunk soldiers and caroused nobles sing along and dance. (The larp was drug free, so all alcohol was fake, even so the drunk feel was still there )

The lovely lady tavern keeper, he borrowed a dress. He's just goofing around.

You can see the sheriffs house in the background.

The mayor had two bodyguards. The other, named Tegula literally slept at her side to keep her safe. Here standing with the Shaol leader i mentioned earlier. The leader is not recognized as a true Shaol by the other shaols which shows how complex their clan based society is.Tegula on the right, another shaol on the left. It's easy to see they are not of the same clan.

Tegula also made a Lohelian scribe kneel (quickly stepping behind the scribe and putting dagger to his throat) while threatening to cut his throat because the scribe had approached a sister of the mayor with his religous ideas. It was not popular.

This was done in broad daylight surrounded by people, the sheriff had to carefully disarm Tegula after some negotiations. If it was up to my character the scribe could have died there and then. Vile religious freaks I was there and tasked to escort the lady in question. So i got prime seat for the show. And of course i did not intervene. I am not the person to care and the ladies were not in physical danger.

This was one of the bodyguards of a high esteemed Lothian lord (visible in background, wearing the turban looking hat) Me and him often ran in with each other since the lord and the mayor often discussed business.We talked of several funny things.

To the left is a member of the commerce house Kraaf in Gelion, the mayor has been adopted into their family and received many boons of this.

The Lothian mercenary company Capra was on site as well, a huge battle was fought between them and all the Shaols and many Woads.Here is their standard held by their captain.A few of the mercenary band.Most of the fighting forces in the battle.All photos was taken post-larp, i was far to busy during the lrp as a bodyguard to run around OFF-larping taking photos.Fight fight fight!YAAAAY!!!This was a reconstruction of the fight, apparently the company held firm against superior numbers. I love how the woads took cover in the woods and fired arrows into the melee.

Everyone dies

The worst part of the fight was that a company of soldiers, all the shaols and a bunch of woads decided to have a huge fight in the middle of the forest, fight so almost every man was wounded or died. And then had everyone in the village come and carry them back to the tavern.ON MY FREE TIME!!!I had just received some time off by the mayor, i was sharing a drink with the mayors lovely scribe (good looking also ) Watching the tavern folk dance and sing when suddently a bunch of people decided to have themselves killed in a pointless battle. And then I have to go carry them around? If the mayor didn't directly order me to help i would've stayed in place and drink my wine. It was my free time.

I walked and helped, helped this man to the tavern and all the time noising my serious dislike and how stupid everyone involved in the fight had been.I literally walked around and cursed and muttered and told people i met how stupid this was

He actually survived even if i uncaringly sort of dropped him on a bench in a corner of the tavern.

Only a couple of people died.

In the end of the larp, i was a rich man. Held almost a years salary for a tavern wench in my pouch and had a monstrous salary as a bodyguard, I mentioned it to a guy from Capra post live and he gasped and said she could've gotten the entire company for that salary

These were the coins i had in the end. (The upper left doesn't count, i found it post larp) 1 gold is 10 silver, and 1 silver is 3 copper.

Like after the battle i was ordered to guard a fallen soldier of higher status. He had fever ramblings about weird things like a child angel waving to him. Madness since he was a Lothian. The only religion they serve is the king. And it's not a religion.

Or the simple fun things playing dumb, wondering what pine cones are for, perhaps they are feces?Or when i was ordered to guard the Lothian lord, and he asked me to go fetch the mayor which was a slight distance ahead. Me being a good bodyguard nodded and coughed slightly, and yelled for the mayor.The lord only uttered a slight "Oh my" shocked by my abrubt and brutal style.I never acknowledged fine titles with the correct terms, i even sat in the way and refused to move when a Lohelian countess was climbing a stair. Religious swine were not to bother the mayor, but i let the lady pass after she told me she was a count in a stern voice. I actually only let her go since the commotion was noticed by the mayor and she was made aware that someone was coming, since she was in delicate business.

It was a cool experience, and i actually made me feel despise of all people wearing blue (my character hates the religion of the Lohelians. It ruined his childhood.)

If you want to know more, i'll happily answer questions.When i get hold of some, i'll fix up some more pics as well. But otherwise, cya around fellow brothers.

_________________"Though we face the power of hell, and death is at our side, we fear not, for the Emperor is with us through it all. If we live, we live for the Emperor. If we die, we die for the Emperor. So whether we live or die, we are the Emperor's. We are Grey Knights and this is why we came to be." --Grandmaster Rivan

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle." --Sun Tzu (from ancient Earth)

Cool stuff Brother! I used to do a more battle orirntated version of LARP an dit was always a good time!

Lets see some pics of you!

_________________+++"There is nothing in the arcane and blasphemous arsenal of the forces of Chaos that can compare to faith. With the power of faith, our weapons become shining instruments of deliverance that can cleave the mightiest daemon in twain. With the power of faith, our minds appear as slivers of pure agony to the daemon, driving into the wretched forms of those who would dare stand before us. With the power of faith, our words become commands that cause the daemon to cower and cringe in terror. I could meet my enemies unarmed without a shred of fear in my chest, for I know that the Emperor watches over me and guides my hand. So let them come. We shall show them what the power of faith can do."+++ (Brother Captain Stern)

Gelion!Characters from gelion.Minus me, i'm in the stairway inside the bar....The far left person is someone i went looking for, the commerce house of Kraaf was going crazy with worry since she was missing and pregnant (ingame) so i went looking for her. I found her picking flowers by the woods.

Totally stupid thing to do, since there are forest folk in the woods, and she could have gotten kidnapped by rivals, but since her character was the most naive thing you can imagine it fit very well.Her sister was very happy when i brought her back. (Yay prestige!)

And the only pic of me.

I'm in the middle.... three heads to the right of the mayor..... yeah i know it's not a good shot of me.

But it's just about all people of the event.

To the far left, the guy furthest left and the kneeling girl next to him was the people i pissed off in the bar when they were going to their room.

The guys who looks like D&D rangers (poorly visible due to the shade) are the woads.

At first i envy you ... Playing a LARP is always fun, but after a thought i remembered that i was 43 years old and that playing in a cold area as it seems you played won't be so fun after all !! So i'll try to make in 2013 a LARP made for an old Man like me : a Cthulhu investigation LARP. Aubec